Bell-buoy.



N0. 663,94l. 4 Patented Dec. l8, I900.

- E. G. P. SMITH.

BELL BUOY.

(Application filed July 5, 1900.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES ELBBIDGE e. P. SMITH,

BELL- or PORTLAND, MAINE.

BUOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,941, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed July 5 1900.

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELBRIDGE G. P. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Portland, Cumberland county, State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bell-Buoys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a bell or other like metal buoy, and it is particularly directed to an improved connection by which the buoy is secured to the mooring. In these bell-buoys it is necessary that they should be so moored that they will have an easy rocking motion when there is any movement whatever in the water, for, as is well understood, the rocking of the buoy produces the ringing of the bell. As these buoys have been heretofore commonly constructed the bottom casting, to which the lower plates are riveted and which forms the lower apex of the buoy, has projecting down from it a lug to which is firmly riveted one end of a shackle, and to the lower end of this shackle the mooring-chain is secured. The buoy was thus connected with the mooring-chain by a rigid connection namely, the upper shackle-the highest joint which gave any flexibility being the two shackles where they came together. The result of this construction was that the buoy had very little rocking motion, and the bell would not ring except when there was considerable motion of the water. Another defeet of the old construction was that when the shackle, which was secured to the bottom casting, became worn by the chafing of the link or shackle connecting with it, so that it had to be replaced, it was necessary to cut out the rivet at considerable expense.

My present invention aims to provide a more flexible connection between the buoy and this mooring-chain, to provide a universal joint as high and as near the bottom of the buoy as it is possible, and to render the repair of the buoy as cheap and easy as possible.

According to my invention I form the bottom casting with two lugs,which extend down- Ward, and between these two lugs is pivoted the upper end of a link by means of a squareheaded bolt which is prevented from turning in the lugs, so that the wear all comes on the bolt where the link turns on it rather than on Serial No. 22,519. (No model.)

the bearings in the lugs. To the lower end of the link and at right angles to the bolt is pivoted a shackle, and to this shackle is connected a mooring-chain in the usual manner. By this construction I get a double or universal joint close up to the bottom of the buoy,

- and it is so constructed that it can be readily taken apart and new parts substituted without cutting away any of the material. keeping the pivoting-point close up to the lower side of the buoy the latter is given very much more freedom of motion than it otherwise would have, and as a result the buoy operates to ring the bell when there is very slight motion of the water.

I illustrate my invention by means of the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a view of the lower end of the buoy, a portion being in section and a portion in elevation. Fig. 2 is an elevation taken at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1. I A represents the buoy proper, and B is the bottom casting of the same. The bottom casting projects but slightly below the lower edges of the plates and has a flange B, which is secured to the plates by means of the bolts B Projecting downward from the bottom casting are two lugs 0, formed of wroughtiron and having notched or dovetailed ends 0 embedded in the recess 0 of the bottom of the casting. Between these lugs is pivoted the upper end of the short link D by means of a bolt E, having a square head which fits a like recess in one of the lugs, whereby the bolt is prevented from turning. Washers I I are interposed between the inner surfaces of the lugs and the link, and a nut e holds the bolt in place, with a split key 6 to prevent the nut from turning.

The lower end of the link D has pivoted to it the upper end of the shackle G, secured by the shackle-bolt H in the usual manner. The bolt H is at right angles to the bolt E, so that the two joints together form a double or universal joint by which any motion of the buoy is freely allowed. The mooring-chain is connected with the shackle G in the usual manner. It will thus be seen that instead of a stiff connection I secure a flexible universal joint close up to the bottom of the buoy, so that it is free to roll in any direction without being checked by the fall of the mooringchain. The Wear from the motion comes onprovided with notched or dovetailed ends fitthe 'pins E and H and noton the lugs 0, so ting in said recesses of the casting and de- [5 that the mooring is easily renewed by removpending downwardly, a link pivoted by its ing the bolts E and H. upper end and between said lugs by means of Although my invention is particularly apa bolt, and having a free motion about said plicable to bell-buoys, it may be used in conbolt, and a shackle pivoted to the lower end nection with any can or other similar buoys of said link at right angles to said bolt. made of metal. Signed at Portland, Maine, this 27th day of I claim- June, 1900.

A bell-buoy, consisting of the metal plates, ELBRIDGE G. P. SMITH. a bottom casting having a flange around its 1 Witnesses: periphery, bolts to secure the flange to the l S. W. BATES,

L. M. GODFREY.

plates, recesses formed in said casting, lugs 1 

